Ball and Chain
by Wicked Thespian
Summary: A slightly AU, and old, fic about Luke and Lorelai's engagement. More specifically, how it could have happened. Just silly, fluffy stuff written on a whim. Enjoy, and please review! Incomplete.
1. Friday Night Dinner

**(Just a fluffy story about Luke and Lorelai. Incomplete after three chapters. Read and review if you want. I wrote this as a sort of AU fic concerning the way Luke and Lorelai got engaged. Ho hum.**

Yeah, I don't own Gilmore Girls or any of the characters.) 

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Chapter 1: Friday Night Dinner**

The house was beautiful. It was old, handed down from generations, made of brick and mortar that had long ago lost it's colour but had managed to retain its pride. The building itself towered over a long gravel driveway, the pointed shingled roof reached into the evening sky. Large paned windows set at regular intervals around the house, some flanking lighted balconies and others dark with luxurious curtains drawn. The driveway was skirted by meticulously cut grass and neatly trimmed bushes and trees, with not so much as a leaf out of place. The mansion was intimidating, looming as if it knew it was better and richer than most that crossed its threshold. The doorway arched high overhead with old ivy creeping across. The door itself was made of thick, richly coloured wood with ornate carvings and a brass door handle. To the two young women standing under this arch and before this door, however, the novelty of this house had long since worn off. The older of the two, a tall, slender, dark brown-haired woman in her thirties, stood rigid with her hand lightly tracing the old-fashioned brass doorbell. She stood with purpose, her legs wide set and her shoulders square, completely blocking the younger woman, a pretty college student with deeply intelligent eyes, from reaching the door.

"Just ring the doorbell." The younger of the two said, though, her companion did not move. "Come on, Mom! What are you doing?"

"Shhhh…." Lorelai Gilmore pressed her ear against the cold wood of the door, her eyes on her daughter and her brow furrowed in theatric concentration. "She's in there." Strands of her shoulder length hair feel free of the ponytail she had rushed while getting ready earlier that evening. She didn't bother to brush them behind her ears, instead leaving them to dangle in front of her face while she tilted her head at her daughter, the amusement in her eyes unmistakable even in the mid-evening gloom. Rory Gilmore did not share in the fun of her moms games, at least not at this moment.

"Of course Grandma is in there. It's her house." Rory shifted her weight to one foot and put her hands on her hips indignantly, leaning in the direction of her tilting head. It was a tactic she often used to dissuade her mother from silly games, and it usually worked, but tonight its effect was lost.

"No, Rory. She's in _there_. In the hall. It's like she has nothing better to do but wait for us to arrive." Lorelai dropped her voice beyond a whisper, leaning away from the door and towards her daughter in a conspiratorial way. "She's waiting to pounce on us."

"If she's waiting than she's already spotted us, when we were driving up." Rory motioned vaguely towards the yellow Jeep badly parked in the driveway with two wheels in the grass. Lorelai shook her head passionately, looking at once very serious and completely tickled.

"I came up with the headlights off. And unless she's developed animal-like senses I doubt she heard us. She's waiting for one sound, the sound of that doorbell, and that will be the trigger. She'll leap at the door, pull it open, complain for our being late and then hurry us inside. I have a bad feeling that we will be here for a very, very long time tonight."

"Mom, you're being paranoid again. Just ring the doorbell." Rory moved to ring it herself, but a light shoulder check from Lorelai dissuaded her. She looked at her mother mutinously, cleared her throat and said, "Fine," She paused for affect, reveling as she watched Lorelai's face go through a series of emotions as she realized what was about to happen, and then yelled as loud as she could, "Grandma! We're here!"

Lorelai seized Rory by the shoulders, shaking her weakly in desperation. "How could you do that to Mommy?" Then, in a lower tone, "Don't think you're going to get away with this, kid." Rory responded by grinning from ear to ear. Lorelai raised a scolding finger and at the same instant the door was pulled open and an overpowering light flooded across the threshold, temporarily blinding the two.

"Lorelai, Rory! What took you so long? Traffic? Come in, come in. Really, standing out here as if you were lost. Why didn't you use the doorbell?" Emily Gilmore swooped out from the light like a phantom, placing surprisingly heavy hands on their shoulders and ushering them inside. Lorelai shot a withering glare at Rory, who stopped her answer before it left her throat.

"Hi Mom," Lorelai said with effort, struggling to remain on the doorstep but to no avail. She entered the house and stopped in the foyer. She took a breath and turned to face her mother, who was helping Rory out of her coat. "Sorry we're late, Mom. How's your hearing today?"

"What?" Emily looked at Lorelai without the slightest trace of interest. Lorelai continued despite that, swallowing a smile. Rory coughed.

"Never mind. We only looked lost because we were confused, wondering why it was taking so long for you to open the door. Didn't you hear us ring?"

"No, Lorelai, I didn't hear the bell," She paused, looking the two over. "Because you didn't ring it."

Lorelai looked shocked and hurt by the comment, "Mother! What do you think we were doing out there? Dancing in the moonlight to our own music? Of course we rang the bell. Numerous times, actually. And knocked. My knuckles hurt from all the knocking. I was personally offended for a while there- I thought you were ignoring us." She pouted and Emily rolled her eyes with a heavy sigh.

"Give me your coat, Lorelai and go make yourself a drink." Lorelai seemed to let go of her personal injury and handed her coat and scarf to Emily, who folded them neatly over her arm and motioned for the younger women to enter the living room. Lorelai took Rory by the arm and led her to the expensive, imposing sofa. Rory collapsed into the absurdly comfortable seat while her mother looked over the alcohol tray.

"You're terrible," Rory said with a stifled laugh, leaning over the arm of the sofa to get a good look at her mother. Lorelai shrugged and poured herself a drink.

"I do what I can to make these dinners bearable. But don't tell me you didn't see the look in her eyes? The 'I've-got-something-nasty-over-you-but-I'm-going-to-make-you-miserable-before-I-tell-you-what' look?"

Rory shook her head, "I didn't see it. What's it look like, again? So I'll be prepared to recognize it when Grandma comes back in."

"Oh, she'll never turn that face on you, but you watch her when I talk to her. She'll squint her eyes and her lips will get really thin and turn up at the very corners. It's the most condescending, demeaning look you've ever seen and when you're under it you just want to take her by the throat and shake her until she tells you-"

"Well, the coats are seen to. I tell you, that Sophie is the slowest maid I've ever seen. Why we hired her in the first place, I don't know," Emily flowed into the room, stopped at the drinks to pour herself one, and then joined Rory on the couch. She looked from Rory to Lorelai and gathered from their expressions that she was interrupting something. "What's so funny? Lorelai?"

"Nothing, Mom. Nothing's funny. So, this Sophie. She's slow, huh?" Lorelai nodded at Rory, secretly telling her to keep alert. Rory tilted her head slightly in return, her eyes never leaving her grandmother's face.

"Yes, and it's irritating. But she's in some financial trouble and practically threw herself at your father's feet, so until he returns I have no choice but to put up with her. Why don't you sit down?" Lorelai hesitated, took a long sip of her drink and, deciding it was in no way strong enough to help her through being that close to her mother, crossed the room to investigate a plant with feigned interest.

"Do you water these things more than once a month?"

"Lorelai, stop being silly and sit down. I want to talk to you," Lorelai turned and caught her mother's eyes for a long moment. Rory jumped and gasped, covering her mouth to keep a squeal in. Emily jumped in surprise, jerking her head sideways to stare at Rory, almost spilling her drink in the process.

"What in heavens name was that?" She asked sternly, more upset than concerned. She knew that Lorelai and Rory often shared secret jokes at her expense, and was not oblivious to the fact that this was another one. Rory shook her head fiercely while her eyes bounced around the room, looking for some sort of excuse.

"I saw it!" She blurted out, looking at Lorelai, who faked a look of surprise. "I saw… a… a mouse! It ran right out from under the sofa!"

"A mouse? Good heavens. I've never seen any trace of a mouse, and I didn't see it just now. Are you sure?" Emily didn't believe Rory, but the mention of a mouse under the sofa was enough to make her sit up a bit straighter and raise her feet from the floor.

"Y-yes, it was too quick though. I didn't see where it went. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you, or make you spill your drink. Did you?"

"No, no. I managed to keep it in the glass," Emily's gaze lingered on Rory a moment longer, and then shifted back to Lorelai. "Will you please sit down?"

"Not if there's a mouse nesting ground under there."

"Lorelai!"

"Okay!" Lorelai crossed back to the sofa and sat herself on the farthest end, next to Emily with Rory just out of arms reach. "What do you want to talk to me about?" She regretted her question before it was all the way out of her mouth. Emily smiled and stood, leaving Lorelai irritated and confused about having to sit down for this.

"I didn't mean anything in particular. I just want to have a nice conversation with my daughter. Is that too much to ask? Am I a bad person for taking an interest in the life of the woman I suffered childbirth for?"

"Mom, please!" Lorelai yelped, as if reliving a bad memory, "No, you're not a bad person. But we can't sit through a civil conversation with each other, remember?"

"That is not true."

"There isn't one time, in the entire history of Friday Night Dinners, that we have had a conversation that ended on a good note. I think it's physically impossible for us."

"Like you're designed to be constantly bickering?" Rory chimed, feeling a bit forgotten. Lorelai nodded and motioned towards her daughter as if she had made some profound point.

"Oh, honestly. If you're going to have that attitude than forget I even asked. Did you ever think that our conversations have only been bad because you will them to be? Sometimes I think you don't even like me, your own mother."

"There's that Mom card again," Lorelai intoned under her breath. She sighed deeply and answered slowly. "Alright, I'm sorry. Let's just try again, for the heck of it. Maybe this time will be different. What do you want to talk about?"

"Good. Thank you," Emily looked thoughtful for a moment, pacing a small circle in front of the sofa. She stopped and said with a smile, "How are you?"

Rory and Lorelai shared a look of disbelief before Lorelai answered in an even tone, "We're fine, Mom. Nothing to report."

"Really? That's good to hear. Rory, how's school?"

"Yale is… good."

"Good."

"Yes, very good."

"We're all good, everything is good. That was a wonderful chat we had, there," Lorelai glanced at her watch. "It's seven-ten, Mom, when's dinner?"

"Dinner will be late tonight, Lorelai," Emily did not see the look of triumph that crossed her daughter's face. Rory, however, saw it and digested it. They really weren't going to be out of here for a long time. "So, you have nothing new to tell me?"

Lorelai sensed the change in her mother's tone and knew she was suddenly treading very thin ice. Emily wanted to hear something particular. And Lorelai knew what it was.

"Well, I'm seeing someone."

"Really? Oh, that's wonderful!" Her reaction was strong and utterly insincere. Emily was aware of how patronizing she sounded, and continued in the same voice, "Who is it? Anyone I know?"

"Well…" Lorelai hesitated, and looked at Rory for support. Rory shrugged and gave her a look that said 'tell her, what can happen?' "Yes, Mom. You know Luke. He runs the diner in our town, remember?"

"Ah, yes, the man that drove you to the hospital when you're father was ill."

"Right. You called him an idiot that day."

"Well, he's certainly come a long way from that," Lorelai looked bewildered. Emily pressed on before she could get a question in, "Well. That wasn't so hard, was it? I don't see what you find so difficult in telling me about your personal life. We're family, Lorelai. If you can tell Rory about something, you can tell me. I'm tired of learning about your relationships through the grapevine."

Lorelai struggled to retain her composure as a myriad of responses flooded into her mind. She sifted carefully through them, hoping to find the one least likely to offend.

"Mom, you know Rory and I have a… bond that goes beyond Mother and Daughter. We're best friends. And I didn't just sit her down one night and tell her I was dating Luke, I mean, it was pretty obvious to her considering she sees me with him everyday. And just what grapevine do you have that is connected in anyway to Luke? I thought he was beyond your radar."

"Is that why you're dating him, Lorelai? You picked him because you felt he was someone you could keep out of my sight?" Lorelai felt her face flush with anger, and was only kept in check by a small hand tenderly placed on her knee. She glanced at Rory, who looked concerned and ready to jump in to take some hits for the team.

"No, that's not it." Lorelai forced herself to say calmly, though she couldn't help but grit her teeth. "Luke is a wonderful man that I've had feelings for for a while now. The time was never right before. But now…"

"Oh, I see. It was convenient for both of you now. No weddings or anything like that in the way. I see."

"See, this is the reason we can never have a nice, normal conversation! You always take that tone."

Emily looked innocently confused, raising her hands defenselessly.

"What _tone_ Lorelai? I'm not taking a _tone_."

"Yes, yes you are! You're talking to me like I'm still a child, like there's something fundamentally wrong with every decision I make and only you can see that. But you can't. You're not always right about everything, Mom. I'm with Luke because he cares about me, and I care about him. Yes, it's true that neither of us are currently engaged or seeing someone else, but generally that's considered _normal_ in a relationship, unless I'm way behind on the times. I haven't dated steadily in a while, so I don't know. But what I do know is that when ever I mention my personal relationships to you they end up going south, and that's not something I want to deal with, not with Luke."

"What do you mean? Are you trying to tell me that I'm the reason you can't keep a man in your life? It's my fault you can't commit to anyone and you constantly run away from men who have given you their hearts? I suppose it's also my fault that you didn't marry Christopher when you were pregnant with Rory."

Rory stood and went to get herself a soda from the kitchen.

"No. I'm taking credit for all of my mistakes, Mom. But you're not helping in the confidence area, are you? Every word you say to me is negative, no matter what I do. You don't approve of Luke, do you? No, he doesn't come from the same world that you do but, when you look at it like a _rational_ person you'll find that _no one does anymore._ He's not perfect for you, but he's perfect for me. I-"

"Oh, so now I'm passé and condescending? It makes you want to take me by the throat and shake me, doesn't it? I'm not daft, Lorelai. I know what you and Rory joke about behind my back. And you what? Don't start a thought a leave it open-ended. I wouldn't want you to waste any really good insults by not saying them. Come on, Lorelai, go ahead and say it. You what? Hate me?"

"No, Mom. I don't hate you," She stopped, as if trying to wrap her head around her conclusion and make sure it's true before she broadcasted it. "I love him."

A thick silence fell over the room. Rory reentered sipping at a soda and felt instantly smothered by the palpable tension that had built since she had exited. She looked at her grandmother, saw the look of hurt and surprise, then turned to her mother, who was pale and shivering slightly. No one seemed to know what to do next, and after three complete minutes of stunned muteness Rory moved to her mother and put her arms around her shoulders. Lorelai wrapped her own arms around Rory's waist and hugged her tightly. Rory pulled back, but did not let go.

"Mom, what happened? Are you and Grandma okay?"

"Yeah, Sweetie," Lorelai said, and colour rushed to her face at once as she spoke. A light flickered to life in her shocking blue eyes and the muscles of her cheeks pulled at the corners of her mouth. Rory blinked, feeling certain something terrible had happened and this reaction was uncalled for and out of place.

"Oh, yes," Came Emily's bitter response, a cutting jolt to the serenity that was now coming from Lorelai. "Everything's fine. I'm responsible for all of your mother's problems with her sex life and she's in love with the diner man." She flopped into an arm chair opposite the sofa and took a long swig from her drink. Rory gripped Lorelai's arms and stared straight into her mother's eyes, two identical shades of blue reflecting against each other. The sparkle in Lorelai's eyes illuminated Rory's.

"You love him? You said that? You love Luke!" Lorelai nodded wordlessly and Rory giggled. "Oh, Mom! I can't believe you're admitting it so soon! I knew it, too. I told you you loved him! This is a big step. A _big _step. The whole town is going to know! Are you ready for that!" Somehow, the roles of Mother and Daughter had been reversed. Lorelai smiled shyly, looking thoroughly embarrassed.

"Yes. I… it was so easy. It just came out. It has to be true, right? I'm not just saying it to spite my mother…" Her voice drifted as they both realized they had forgotten Emily completely. The sudden rush of joy had erased all thoughts of the fight, despite how severe it had been. Rory looked down, her reflexive reaction to shame, and Lorelai turned to face her mother.

Sitting in her chair, sipping at her drink, Emily Gilmore suddenly looked very old. Her shoulders were hunched forward, her head bowed over the rim of the cup, which she held tightly in both hands. The wrinkles in her hands and shadowed face seemed somehow more pronounced now, and deep black bags circled the bottom of her blood red eyes. Wet streaks lined her cheeks, and she repeatedly sniffled in an effort to conceal her tears. Lorelai felt a sudden cold pain in her heart, and she moved away from Rory slowly, rounding the table to approach Emily.

"Mom…" She began, the apology already clear in her voice. Emily straightened and in a flash all signs of her weakness were gone. She turned her hard, angry eyes on Lorelai and seemed to forget the deep sadness that had racked her only moments before. Even her cheeks seemed dry now.

"No, Lorelai. Don't ever apologize for being honest," She said sternly.

"Mom, no. I didn't mean that you were to blame…"

"I know perfectly well what you meant. You have always felt like I was a burden on you. I know you have. I've tried to bring you back into this family, but you won't have it, will you? I'm a curse on your life. Some sort of plague."

"I'm sorry; I really didn't mean to get that angry… I was just talking. You know me, I'm all talk. I don't mean…"

"But you do." Emily stood and took Lorelai's glass from her, which surprised Lorelai. She had forgotten she had been holding a drink. Now she missed it sorely. "Well, I'm sure you two have better things to do on a Friday night than have dinner with an old woman. Anyway, I doubt Sophie will have dinner out here before nine."

"No, Grandma, we'll stay and eat dinner with you. Really, I have nothing better to do. You're on the top of my list." Rory offered, looking eager.

Emily smiled fondly.

"No need to be generous. I'll see you next week," She moved across the room and returned the glasses to the tray, then she clapped her hands and raised her voice. "Sophie, Lorelai and Rory are leaving now, can you see them out?"

"Mom." Lorelai's voice was steady and calm. She frowned seriously, "We can stay. We don't want to leave if you're angry with us."

"Now Lorelai, why would I be angry?"

Lorelai shuffled a sarcastic response to the back of her mind and opened her mouth to answer sincerely, but Sophie entered the room before she had a chance.  
Sophie was an imposing woman. She stood as tall as Lorelai and three times as wide. Her arms were as thick as small tree trunks, mounted on finely sculpted shoulders and supported by muscularly carved legs. She was smiling sweetly, and still it was threatening. Rory felt her stomach flop and Lorelai was in disbelief.

"See you to the door?" Sophie asked in an undistinguishable accent. Lorelai shook her head slowly and pushed Rory towards the foyer.

"I think we got it, thanks," She said, looking over her shoulder once more to catch the slight amusement her mother was desperately fighting to keep off of her face. "Thanks for having us over, Mom… see you next week."

Rory reached the door first and stopped. Lorelai crashed past her to tear the door open and pull the girl outside. Sophie followed them to the door, her shadow erasing all the light in the house from the sidewalk. She waited until the two Gilmore's were in their Jeep before she retreated into the house and shut the door behind her.

Lorelai leaned back against the driver's seat, her hands resting lightly on the wheel. The engine was turning idly. Rory was staring for a long while before her mother finally noticed her.

"What?"

"Our coats are still in there."

"Honey, it's too late for those coats. Emily will have them burned and ritualistically disposed of before the night is over and if we try to go back in there Sophie will break us over her knee like planks of wood." Lorelai was joking and yet there was an edge of certainty to her words.

Rory nodded, buckling her seatbelt.

"You're right." She watched the majestic mansion shrink in the rearview mirror as Lorelai eased the car out of the driveway gates and onto the road. "We haven't eaten."

"We'll go to Luke's."

After a beat, Rory smiled and said "Yeah, that sounds like a plan."


	2. Luke's Diner

**(The second chapter. More fluff. Reviews are always welcome.) **

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Chapter 2: Luke's Diner**

Luke's Diner was empty. The only light spilled from the staircase that led up to Luke's apartment above. Lorelai stood on the stoop of the door, her face and hands against the glass, looking miserable. Rory stood on the street, staring up at a window that was still bright. She glanced at her watch and then went to her mother and pulled her shoulder back, peeling her from the door.

"It's not too late, he should still be up. Just… yell at him."

"Have you suddenly become incapable of raising your voice?" Lorelai asked bitterly, fixing Rory with a flat stare. She needed coffee.

"No, I just thought he would respond more… eagerly to you. I'm not dating him, after all. Of course, I've always felt a strange pull between us. Maybe he does like me more, in which case I should be the one calling him. Good point, Mom. I'm sure we'll be happy together."

"You're funny. I wonder where you got that from? Not from me, obviously. I can't be that annoying." Lorelai squeezed Rory's arm affectionately and moved from the stoop to the sidewalk, positioning herself directly below the lighted window. She cupped her hands around her mouth and began yelling. "Luke! Help! Luuuuukkeeee! We need your help NOW!"

The window flew open almost immediately, and a man appeared, nearly falling over the ledge. His head snapped about frantically until he saw Lorelai and Rory. The two girls could see him relax and, at the same time, his muscles tighten in irritation once he noticed that they were in no danger. Lorelai waved at him.

"We need coffee and food!" She called, her voice airy.

"We're closed." Luke called back gruffly. He slammed the window closed with that. Lorelai and Rory watched the spot he had been with identical looks of shock. A few moments later the window was shut off and there was no movement inside. Silence settled over the Gilmore's for a long minute before Lorelai turned to Rory.

"He went to bed." Her eyes reflected the piercing incredulousness she was struggling with, "He shut the window."

"And turned off the light." Rory pouted.

"Does he not like us anymore?"

"I don't know. Did you do something to him?"

"Me? Maybe you scared him with your sick attraction to him."

"I never said I was attracted to him, just that there was a strange pull between us. It wasn't enough for anyone to get offended over, except the over-protective girlfriend."

"This over-protective girlfriend wants food. I can't believe he's going to make us go all the way home."

"We did wake him up." Rory said, finally taking a mildly-serious tone. Lorelai folded her arms over her chest and puffed her cheeks like an indignant child. Rory smiled, trying to coax her mom out of the mood. "Come on, we have Chinese food at home." Lorelai shook her head, stomping her foot and turning her adamant gaze to the diner. Her face instantly changed as she saw the door swing open, light spilling onto the street from the curtained diner windows.

"You two coming in, or what?" Luke asked, maintaining the gruff voice he had greeted them with. He stood in the doorway dressed in what he considered pajamas, sweat pants and an older flannel shirt. He looked angry, but held the door open for them and waved them inside. Lorelai ran to him and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him as tightly as she could.

"You're the best guy in the whole world. Now I don't have to go buy food at another diner and bring it here to tell all your customers how much better it is than yours." She kissed him on the cheek and he scoffed. She released him and entered the diner, almost skipping, and Rory followed suit, smiling and waving a 'thank you' to Luke as she passed. He nodded in her direction, looked around the empty street, and then shut the door. The sign he kept attached to the door showed the street that he was still closed, despite the two customers he now had sitting at the bar.

Luke rounded the bar and poured them a cup of hot coffee. He had learned to keep a pot ready at all times, and this was an even more important lesson now that he was with Lorelai. She was a coffee fiend and, though he discouraged it, Luke tried to keep her addiction satisfied. Lorelai and Rory took long gulps from the oversized cups and Luke watched in dismay. The two were identical. They took breaths at the same time, drank at the same pace, and put their cups on to the counter in sync. Both noticed him watching them and both responded with an amusingly quizzical expression. He laughed and waved a dismissive hand.

"What brings you two here on a Friday night? Shouldn't you be spending time with Emily and Richard?"

"Well, Richard is traveling and won't be back for two weeks, and Emily is… well… Emily." Lorelai said with a shrug, watching the thick black liquid swirl as she gently turned her cup in her hands. Luke wasn't oblivious to the air of injury in Lorelai's body language. "My Mother pretty much kicked us out tonight. Without dinner, which was the worst thing of all."

Luke glanced at Rory, who was frowning slightly. He felt suddenly uncomfortable, knowing he was obligated to ask her what happened but unwilling to offend her by bringing up a bad experience casually. He picked his words carefully and delivered them warmly.

"I know how you two get when you're not fed. I'm lucky you didn't tear down the door… are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm used to it by now." This wasn't the first time Lorelai had spoken to Luke about her problems with her mother, and Luke nodded in understanding. Lorelai went on with a sigh, "This time, though… I offended her. I mean, I felt justified at the time. She was belittling me- and you- and she really deserved to hear the truth…"

"But?"

"But I probably could have said it better. She looked so hurt… I know she just wants to be a part of my life, like I am with Rory." She took her daughter's hand and smiled into her blue eyes, "A big part. But she can't. She won't ever be that close to me. There's too much water under that bridge. An entire village has drowned, in fact. I… I don't know. Lorelai Gilmore is too stubborn to be loved by her own mother."

"Mom…" Rory said. Luke was glad she had spoken, because he could not find fitting words, "That's not it. You love your mom, and Grandma loves you. You both know you're living in two different worlds. What happened tonight… Grandma just wants you to be happy. She wants you to find the right guy. Maybe if Luke came to dinner next week…"

"No. I'll apologize next week. I shouldn't have snapped at her. I should have waited until we got home and taken it out on you." She smiled and looked at Luke. "We'll torture Luke the week after."

Luke smiled, sensing the conversation was taking a lighter turn and it was now safe to joke around with her. Rory was a great kid, and it amazed him to see just how soothing she was to Lorelai.

"So." He said, taking out his order pad and pen from under the counter. "What'll you have?"

"Cheeseburgers and chili fries?" Rory asked, downing the last of her coffee. Lorelai nodded.

"You heard the lady."

"Coming right up." Luke didn't bother writing the order down. He disappeared into the kitchen. Lorelai watched him go and then turned to Rory.

"I have a good kid."

"Yeah, you do. You should feel blessed." Rory shifted the stool closer and turned to face her mother directly, and Lorelai accepted that as an offer for a hug. She released Rory's shoulders when she heard her struggling for air.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, kid." She said seriously, her eyes glistening with the threat of tears. They were best friends, and both took that as granted. But there were moments where Lorelai would stare at Rory and recognize herself in both appearance and attitude, and she would fully realize that Rory wasn't just her best friend. Rory was her daughter. There was a level of love and respect that friends could never attain, no matter how long they've known each other or how close they become. It was a special level reserved for Lorelai and Rory. Right now, facing her daughter on bar stools in Luke's diner and clasping her daughters hands in her own, Lorelai felt completely submerged in that overpowering love. She never wanted to leave.

"You know I'll always be here for you." Rory said, beaming sincerely. Lorelai ran a hand through Rory's soft, dark brown hair and then kissed her on the forehead. They sat for a long time like that, Lorelai's chin resting on the top of Rory's head, their hands clasped together in Lorelai's lap. Luke hovered in the doorway that separated the diner from the kitchen, holding two plates of purely caloric food. He took in the whimsical scene and felt as if he had strayed into an absurdly perfect world. He was at peace and he was in love with that feeling. He wanted to be a part of this world, the tight bond his two closest friends shared. The ties would be different for each, but he would be irrevocably attached to both. A sharp sting of percipient pain caught him off guard, and he lurched forward to put the plates on the counter before he dropped them. The jolted from their serene trance and both fixed him with worried, wondering stares. He smiled at them wanly.

"Sorry. I, ah, I didn't want to interrupt, and I… uh, I was trying to be quiet but I… you know… tripped." He smiled and regained his composure before they noticed he had ever lost it. He sighed. "Sorry."

"It's fine." Lorelai said with renewed joviality. She took one plate and slid it to Rory, then took her own plate. She smiled up at Luke without saying anything. He shifted nervously.

"You need something else? Ketchup? More coffee? I'll get you more coffee." He turned to get the coffee pot but Lorelai reached over the counter and caught him by the arm. He stopped and half turned to face her.

"No, we're fine. Thank you for being here." She released his arm and rounded the counter to meet him, taking his hands in hers.

"Well, I do live here." He said, stepping towards her and putting his arms around her lithe body. She wrapped her arms around his neck and began to sway. Luke moved with her, dancing to no music.

"No. For being here for us. We can always count on you. You're a big part of our life, Luke. I… just… thank you." She spoke while looking into his eyes, their faces inches apart. He didn't smile at her, but she felt his hold tighten around her. She pressed her ear to his chest, resting against him and closing her eyes.

"No problem." He said. It was simple, but it was all Lorelai had to hear. It meant that he was glad to be there, whenever they needed him, and he would be there for as long as they allowed him to be. Rory watched the two, eating her cheeseburger, and smiled. They were perfect together. All that needed to happen was a surge of courage. She could see how much the each cared for the other, and she was sure they knew. There was a question in all of their minds, and Rory wondered when one would be bold enough to ask it. The two danced silently for a while, long enough for Rory to finish half of her burger and almost all of her fries, and then they split. Lorelai kept her hands entwined with his, a delicate flower in a bears paw. He ran his thumb over the back of her hand and took a deep breath. "Lorelai…"

"It's late. We should go."

"You didn't eat…" He tightened his grip on her hands, hesitant to let her leave. Only Lorelai had the ability to make him feel this wonderful, and he didn't want to let the feeling go.

"Doggy-bag it for me? I promise, I'll eat. Rory has an early morning tomorrow. Something with Paris."

"Paris?"

"Oh, you remember Paris. The last time she was here she insulted you and asked you where you kept the drugs and other illegal things?" Rory said, rising from the stool with a laugh. A look of disgust crossed Luke's face and he nodded.

"Oh, yeah. I remember her." He answered, "Okay, I guess you should go. She's the kind of girl liable to keep a grudge if you're late, right? Make you're life hard?"

"You have no idea." Rory didn't seem too perturbed by this admission. Paris considered Rory her best friend, despite how genuinely horrible Paris was to her, and she couldn't help but think of Paris as a close friend. Somehow, her terrible attitude and brash antics were endearing.

Lorelai and Luke took a couple more minutes of cuddling before he finally released her. She kissed him on the cheek and he brushed her face with the back of his hand tenderly. She moved around the counter after a beat and he pulled out a Styrofoam box for her burger and fries. He handed her the box and its contents and she leaned over the counter to give him a proper kiss on the lips. Rory was waiting for her at the door. When Lorelai turned her back to Luke and made for the exit, Luke motioned for Rory to wait. She nodded slightly, held the door open for Lorelai, and then went to Luke at the counter. The door shut behind her and Lorelai turned to find Rory had not followed her. The door was locked from the inside, so Lorelai didn't even make an attempt to try and get back in. Instead she went to her Jeep, put the food on the passenger side chair and waited for Rory.

"I need to ask you something, Rory." Rory stood awkwardly in front of the counter, and Luke watched her with a serious expression on his face. She wondered what could be going through his head, and then remembered the conversation she had had with her mother earlier.

"Wait, I was just kidding about that 'strange pull' thing, I promise. I know you and mom--"

"What? No, no, no. I need to ask you about your mother." He took off his old blue baseball cap and ran a hand through his brown, flat hair. He seemed oddly anxious. "Look, what is she doing tomorrow? I mean, her schedule?"

"Same as always, I guess. She's working at the Inn." She couldn't stop her mouth from curling at the corners. "Why?"

"No reason. Look… do you think it would be possible for you to… I don't know… keep her out of the diner tomorrow?"

"Luke, do you know how crazy you sound right now?"

"I know, I know. But it's just for one day and, if I could, I'd tell you why but please: just trust me. If you can't, that's okay, but it would really help me."

"Okay, okay. I'll try. But I don't know if I'll be able to. I don't think my mom is physically capable of getting through the day without a cup of your coffee." She waved and went to the door, pausing after opening it a little and feeling the cool night air wash over her face. "What are you planning for her?"

"You'll find out later. I know how you and Lorelai tell each other everything. You'll have to understand that I have to be careful about what I let you know."

"Because I'll tell her." She said. It was a statement, not a question. She couldn't deny that she told her mother almost everything, and got the same in return. Luke stood over her and held the door open. She thanked him and flitted down from the stoop and over to the Jeep, which was waiting with its engine purring. As Rory was getting in the car, Lorelai came out. She left the door open and ran over to Luke, catching him just before he closed the door. He looked at her in surprise and she kissed him fully and deeply. When she broke away from him he saw he eyes glistening with something beyond gratitude or respect or friendship.

"I love you, Luke Danes." She said and then ran back to the car. Luke watched her go, stunned silent. He wanted to reply, willed himself to, but could not get his mouth to acquiesce. The engine of the Jeep turned and the car pulled away from the curb and into the street. The stoplight in front of his diner was green, for once, and soon the car vanished into the night. Luke smiled as his heart swelled in his chest. He went back into the diner and then up to his apartment, forgetting about the unwashed coffee cups and dinner plates, and the light he left on. He moved across the room to his bed and flopped down onto it. He looked up at the ceiling, then around the room, and then at the window. He smiled. Maybe becoming a part of their world wasn't going to be as difficult as he thought.

Lorelai eased that car into the driveway of their Stars Hollow home and cut the engine. She leaned back in the seat and tilted her head in Rory's direction. Rory was sitting with Lorelai's boxed food in her lap, smiling as if she had just heard a great joke.

"He asked you to keep me out of the diner?" Lorelai said slowly, trying to keep a straight face, but having little success. "All day?"

"Yes. He said he'd tell me why, but I'd end up telling you so he couldn't." She didn't hide the edge in her words.

"It must be big."

"It must be big." Rory nodded. She opened the door and unclicked her seatbelt with two practiced flips of her wrist and then stepped down from the seat. Lorelai followed suit, meeting Rory half way to the house. The two linked arms, both smiling.

"Well, then." Lorelai said, using her free hand to open the door, "You know what I have to do."

"Go to the diner."

"All day."

"Never leave."

"Not once. And never let him out of my sights."

"Wait." They entered the house and split company, Lorelai to the kitchen and Rory to the living room after handing her mother the box from Luke's. "I think I see a problem with your plan."

"What's that?" Lorelai called over the hum of the microwave.

"If you go to the diner and spend the day there you might scare him out of doing whatever it is he wants to do. And that would defeat the whole purpose of being there all day, which was to learn what he was doing, right?"

"Right." Lorelai came in holding the reheated food and waving her fork thoughtfully. She sat down next to Rory on the couch, offering her french-fries. "So I can't sit there all day, or he won't plan anything at all and that might ruin the whole thing. He'd be angry with me, though he'd never tell me why, and I'd have to pretend not to know. Not my favorite kind of situation." Lorelai said, remembering a huge fight with her mother and father that had occurred under similar circumstances. "Okay, so I don't stay there all day."

"Good. You give him breaks. It gives him time to put things into motion, and gives you more of a chance at catching him in the act." Rory nodded prophetically.

"Dirty!"

"Mom, be serious." She jabbed Lorelai playfully in the arm and Lorelai nodded, putting on a cracking game face. Rory continued. "Besides, you couldn't have stayed there all day. You have to be at the Inn. So you go there periodically, but not so methodical that he catches on to your rhythm, right?"

"Good! Keep him on his toes. Me likes. That's my plan, and the first stop will be in the morning. I'll give you a ride to meet Paris at Yale, and we can stop in the Diner before we go."

"You realize that to accomplish this feat we have to get up really early. Like, before the chickens." Rory looked at her mother skeptically. Lorelai was not one for rising before seven in the morning under any circumstances. Lorelai mulled this condition over in her mind for a while.

"What time do you have to meet Paris?" She asked at length.

"Eight."

"What is _wrong_ with that child?" She groaned in exasperation. She regained herself quickly, "Okay, alright. We'll get up early. But if we're a _little _late Paris will just have to deal with it. What are you two doing, anyway?"

"She didn't say. She just told me to meet her at the school in the morning and she'd take it from there."

"That girl. She'll be the death of us all." Lorelai took a bite out of her burger, savored it, and then continued. "So that's the plan."

"That's the plan." Both looked satisfied.  
Lorelai grinned.

"We're bad people."

"No, we're completely justified in wondering what he could be planning. From the way he was acting, he could have been talking about something _bad_. I was obligated to tell you, and you were likely obligated to look into it."

"Exactly." Lorelai leaned back into the sofa, food in her lap, as Rory rose. "Going to bed, Sweets?"

"Yeah. We have a busy morning of deception ahead of us. And whatever it is Paris had planned for me." She went to the hall, paused to wave goodnight, then crossed to her room and shut the door lightly behind her. Lorelai poked her burger with the fork she had brought from the kitchen with no intention of actually using, and then moved it from her lap to the table. She looked up at the ceiling as her feelings from the day settled over her in a wave. The fight with Emily had left her drained and emotional, but the trip to Luke's had a wonderful rejuvenating affect on her. Telling him she loved him had brought her to an awkward edge, teetering between terrified and elated. She hadn't waited for a reaction, but had seen a light in his eyes and a change in his stance that seemed favorable. Still, however that turned out, she felt completely vulnerable. She would see him tomorrow for the commencement of her plan, and it occurred to her that he might not be so keen on doing anything for her now. She might have scared him off.

Lorelai shook her head and got up from the old couch. She considered cleaning up the box of food that was sitting half-eaten on the table, but left it for another time. Her bed was calling her, and it was as irresistible as a Siren. She stopped by Rory's room, opening the door carefully so she didn't wake the sleeping girl, and gave her a kiss on the cheek before she made her way upstairs and to her room. She made a quick job of changing into her pajamas, sweats and a flannel shirt she had stolen from Luke's a couple days before, and got into her comfortably familiar bed. She breathed deeply, still able to smell him in the fibers of the shirt, and sighed. He would be there for her tomorrow, as he always was. Things would be fine between them. They wore, basically, identical sets of pajamas. How could it not be fine with that connecting them?

Rory, in her bed and pretending to be asleep, smiled to herself. Things were moving in the right direction. She didn't have to worry about pushing them in any way. They both knew what they had to do. They both felt the exact same way. Things were going to be very interesting from here on out. And Rory could not wait to see how things turned out.


	3. Phone Call

**(I think I might have been... on something when I wrote this. Substance abuse aside, this chapter is basically one big dream sequence. Read, review, and love life, my friends.)

* * *

Chapter 3: Phone Call**

Lorelai opened her eyes and found herself sitting in the middle of Miss Patty's dance studio. No one was around. It was dark outside, and as far as she could see the lights were all off. Despite that, the room was bright with white light that flooded from the numerous plaques and pictures that lined the walls. All of the furniture and bookshelves of trophies were conspicuously missing. Lorelai stood and her legs buckled under her, as if she were drunk or at least heavily hung over. She stumbled and put a hand out to catch herself on the wall, only to find an empty doorway. Half blind and unable to keep her balance, she tumbled out of the studio and landed hard on the dried grass outside. It was rough against her skin and it was at that moment that she noticed for the first time that she was wearing very little. She looked down at herself and saw, with horror, that she wasn't wearing clothes at all, but a beach towel with the first page of _Pride and Prejudice_ printed on it in big, unfriendly letters. She shivered and hugged herself tightly, forcing herself into a sitting position. It was surprising cold outside, and as soon as she noticed this the skies opened up and a torrential rain began to fall. The winds picked up and she had a tough time keeping hold of her towel. Clinging to her wrapping for dear life, Lorelai stood and made her way through town, stumbling and fighting the wind and rain.

"Lorelai Gilmore!" She froze for a moment and then turned sharply on her heels. Emily stood directly in front of her, uncomfortably close, staring at her in utter disgust. "What are you doing in the rain? In a towel?"

"I was just about to ask you the first half of that question. And why aren't you getting _wet_?" The rain seemed to fall around her, and the wind cracked and gave way to her. No matter how close Lorelai stood to her, however, she could not escape the horrible weather. "Look, mom. I'm freezing; can't we go inside somewhere and talk about this later? I really have no idea what's going on here and--"

Lorelai was cut off as a lance of lightning tore through the sky and she was momentarily blinded by the brilliant blue light that accompanied it. Instead of a thunder drum it was a crash of a cymbal that made the earth shake. Lorelai fell to her knees, scuffing them on the rough pavement, and covered her head in a burst of fear. When she looked up Emily was gone, as was most of the town. What was there was in ruin, with green flame-like pillars reaching into the sky, turning the clouds to grass. Lorelai worked her way to her feet.

"Mom?" She called meekly, fear still gripping her heart. She stumbled down the street, her feet recognizing the place even if her eyes did not. "Mom?" She came to an unconscious stop in front of what used to be Taylor's grocery store. Now it was a puddle of silvery liquid, like mercury at room temperature, with a small island of shelves and a cash register in the center. Lorelai walked up to the edge of the small lake and peered at the liquid, but thought better of crossing it. "Taylor, Dean!" She called, rising on tiptoes to get the best view she could at the island.

"Lorelai?" A voice called from behind the isle of boxed cereal.

"Dean! Are you okay? What's going on here?" Lorelai felt relief and worry rush over her at once, and it nearly floored her. Her hang-over, or whatever it was, was not letting up. She swayed, but maintained her footing. Her grip on her towel tightened.

"What are you talking about? And why are you wearing that towel?" His head appeared from behind the Captain Crunch. He was wearing a small cap on his head, attached with an elastic band beneath his chin, with an absurdly large feather sticking directly out of the top. The hat was a vulgar shade of luminescent pink, and he wore a business suit to match, overly-large tie and shirt cuffs and all.

"You look like a flamingo and yet you comment on _my_ wardrobe?"

"Are you mocking my uniforms, Little Missy?" Lorelai turned and saw, standing a good thirty feet distant, a man on a large horse. The horse, which was tall enough for any regular man to walk straight under its belly, was brown splotched and was drawing an equally large cart. The man, sitting daintily on the horse with both legs on one side, crossed and his hands in his lap, cleared his throat and spoke. She saw his mouth moving, but the words came to her after a long delay. "I'll have you know I spent quite a long time making that hat, and you have no right to complain any. This was the designed agree upon at the last town meeting. If you managed to arrive on time, Ms. Gilmore, you would know that."

"Taylor? Is that you!" Lorelai had to yell to be heard over the pounding rain and crashes of cymbal-thunder. Taylor, however, spoke in his regular voice and she heard him effortlessly.

"Of course it is, who else would it be? You're acting more peculiar than usual today, Lorelai. And why in heaven's name are you wearing that towel? I'm going to have to ask you to at least put on a shirt and some shoes if you wish to enter my store." The horse stomped it foot and the silvery liquid behind her bubbled in small waves. Lorelai stomped her foot in return, without the affect.

"I'm not here to buy groceries, Taylor! Have you seen my mother? Or Rory!"

"What? You're going to have to project a bit better than that, Lorelai." He was more condescending today than usual, and it was far more than Lorelai could handle.

"RORY?"

"She's in the Diner, waiting for you. Where else would she be? Excuse me, Lorelai? Where are you going? Come back!"

Lorelai stalked off down the street the best she could, the wind and rain only allowing her to stumble on at a slow crawl. When she finally reached the Diner she was exhausted beyond anything she thought humanly possible. She fumbled with the steps and threw herself at the door. It swung inward and she fell face first onto the cold tile floor and did not move.

"Mom!"

Lorelai feared to look up. She didn't know what had happened to the Diner, or to Rory, or to Luke, but she did not want to know. She kept her eyes tightly closed.

"Wake up!"

She opened her eyes when she felt a warm hand on her wet shoulder. She snapped her head around and looked straight into Rory's pale blue eyes.

"Rory!" She wrapped the girl into a hug, near  
tears. "You're normal!"

"Lorelai! Are you all right!" Richard, her father, was at her other side. She fell on him, hugging him as she had Rory.

"You're normal too!"

Rory and Richard exchanged confused glances.

"Mom. Are you okay? Why weren't you at the town meeting? And why are you late?" Lorelai looked at Rory, pulling away from Richard in time to catch her slipping towel. It was heavy with rain water. The Diner was cold and empty, and Lorelai shivered. Rory stood and poured a cup of coffee and handed it to Lorelai, who accepted it with shaking hands. She took a sip and then spat it out reflexively. "This is decaf!"

"Of course." Rory nodded. "Our favorite."

"You're not my daughter." Lorelai said with horror in her voice. She rose unsteadily, like a leaf standing on its tip, and crossed to the counter. She leaned on it with her back, staring from Rory to Richard. Rory was wearing her uniform from Chilton, which Lorelai had simply overlooked when she had entered. It seemed natural for Rory to be wearing that, despite having already graduated. Her father was wearing his customary business suits, blazer and vest neatly pressed and undershirt tucked in tightly. When she looked more closely at him, however, she noticed that the suit was a bizarre wooly material, far too heavy for a suit of this kind, that bristled and seemed to have a life of its own. She hadn't felt it when she hugged him and realized at last that her body had gone numb from the cold outside. The cold in here. She shivered again, hugging herself tightly.

"I don't know what's going on." She confessed in a childlike voice. Rory walked towards her with open arms.

"Mom, you need to go rest." Lorelai felt compelled to go to those welcoming arms, but resisted. When Rory saw this hesitation her face twisted from the pleasant, intelligent face Lorelai knew and loved, to a grotesque and terrible face of wrath. Lorelai yelped and darted around the counter, slipping on a puddle of water that had dripped from her rain soaked towel and hair, and landed hard on the tile. Momentum kept her moving and she managed to drag herself behind the counter, where she cowered and shook violently. She waited for Rory to come. A hand touched her shoulder opposite where she had rounded the counter. Lorelai let out and screech and turned around swinging, landing a closed fist blow to a strong jaw. Someone heavy hit the ground with a thump and when Lorelai found courage enough to peer over the body she discovered Luke. He was dressed as plainly as ever, in flannel and jeans with his patented backwards blue baseball cap on his head. He stirred and stared at her for a moment. She blinked at him, waiting for him to become something odd and, inevitably, terrifying.

"Lorelai!" He said, anger and surprise mixing in his voice. She hesitated, feeling at once comforted by his painfully familiar and warming voice. She swayed and in a flash his strong arms were about her, pressing her close to his body. She felt the beat of his heart in her ear. The angry had vanished from his voice, leaving only the surprise. "Are you alright? You're in a towel… and you're drenched!"

"Please don't turn into anything freaky, or do something crazy, Luke. I really don't think I can handle that." She said with a sigh, going limp against him.

"So you've seen it, too? This place has gone crazy!" He kissed the top of her head and she looked up at him, her eyes glistening.

"Don't be messing with me."

"I'm not. Everyone is acting like everything is completely normal. But Taylor is riding a damn _giant horse_, for Pete's sake." Lorelai moved in his grasp, though not enough to disengage herself, and pressed her lips to his. He was surprised for a moment, and then pushed against her, his hands exploring underneath the towel with no objection from her.

Lorelai smiled.

"Wake up."

"Go away."

"Wake up."

"No."

"Wake up!"

"Leave me alone."

"Come on, you promised!"

"I did no such thing."

"Get up, come on!"

"I keep hitting you and yet you won't stop!"

"Mom!" There it was. The pleading tone that  
Rory only pulled out in dire emergencies, the tone she knew her mother could not resist. It was somewhere between pitiful and spoiled, where she dragged out the vowel sound as if she had been wounded. Lorelai groaned and rolled over, knocking the weight on her stomach off balance as she shifted to bury her face in her pillow. The dream she had given herself to so completely, the dream she had suddenly found herself thoroughly enjoying, was quickly vanishing before her eyes. Rory was not deterred and regained her sitting position, now on Lorelai's back. Lorelai groaned and mumbled something into the pillow.

"Mom, you're speaking the Language of the Birds again."

"Ha!" Lorelai turned her upper body awkwardly, looking over her shoulder to stare at Rory indignantly. "This is no where near the Garden of Eden. You're a little spawn of Satan."

"What does that make you, then?"

"Really tired." She flopped back into the bed, her arms falling limply at her sides, shutting her eyes tightly. She issued a false snore and Rory seized her by the shoulders and shook her roughly.

"Mom, if you don't get up Paris is going to come here looking for me and then you'll really be in he-" She was caught off guard by Lorelai's sudden, violent thrash that send Rory reeling and tumbling to the floor with a crash. Lorelai lay quiet for a long moment, and then with a grunt she crawled to the end of the bed and peered down at Rory.

"Not so much a _Felix culpa_, eh? Unless you discovered something about yourself in that little fall from grace?" Rory stared up at her blankly for a moment, angry flashing in her eyes, and then she was calm and smiled wickedly.

"I got you out of bed."

"Ah hah, but you didn't." Lorelai made to turn around and crawl back to her pillow, and as she did so Rory caught the corner of the comforter, which had spilled off the bed with her, and gave it a mighty tug. The whole comforter slipped off the bad, and with it came Lorelai. She landed flat on her back, right next to Rory. The two stayed like that for a while, staring at the ceiling and nursing their sore backs and pride in silence. Then Rory rolled over and sat on her mother's stomach, grinning down at the older woman in triumph.

"Now are you ready to get ready?" Lorelai reached up and threatened to push Rory off of her, then let her arms fall to her sides and a long sigh of defeat escaped her lips.

"Yes."

"Good. I'll be waiting downstairs for you. You have half an hour."

"Thank you. You're good to me, Master." Rory stood and offered Lorelai a hand up. Lorelai accepted it, hoisting herself up with so much force Rory was almost sent back to the floor.

"I know I am. Now hurry up and make yourself presentable." She walked with purpose to the door, holding her head high and swaying with pomp. She paused at the door and then looked back at Lorelai, who was pouting as she pulled the comforter back on to the bed. Rory giggled and Lorelai looked at her sharply, still pouting, and then let herself chuckle. Their laughter grew until both were bent over, breathing and gasping and holding their sides. Rory straightened up, red faced and choking back another fit of laughter, "Now you only have twenty-five minutes." Lorelai composed herself and nodded with as much solemnity as she could muster and Rory left with a wave. Rory managed to get three steps down the hall before her laughter kicked back in, and she heard her mother in the same straights through the door. Rory managed to escape the hall and toddle down the stairs and flop herself down on the tattered old couch before her laughter subsided. It was far too early in the morning for either of them to be up and goofing around, and yet here they were, both hardly able to breathe. It only added to the hilarity. Rory was laughing through her anxiety of a day with Paris, and Lorelai had her fight with Emily to fuel her. Both felt the relief after the laughter finally died away. There was probably no better way to start the day, for either of them. Lorelai came down after forty minutes of dressing and primping. She was wearing a casual camel skirt that fell just beyond her knees, a black, off the shoulder top, worn flip-flops and thin, oval sunglasses. Her hair, which was wavy after a rushed shower and blow dry, was pulled back in a messy bun and strands of it fell before her face, or rested tucked behind her ears. Still, she looked beautiful. Rory envied her mother in that one point. Lorelai was one of those people that could look good during or after anything.

"You ready, sweets?" Lorelai asked absently, not heeding Rory's approving glance. Rory stood, smoothed out her green striped button up top and three-quarter length sleeves, pulled up her faded jeans and then threw her jacket on over her shoulders.

"Yes. We still swinging to Luke's before we go?" She was already at the door as she spoke. Lorelai followed her, taking her brown leather jacket from the back of a chair and pulling it on.

"You know it." They exited the house and Lorelai locked the door behind them. Rory stood at the driver's side door of the Jeep, holding her hand out expectantly. "You're going to drive?" Lorelai asked, handing the keys over.

"'Till you get your coffee, yes." She opened the door and got in behind the wheel. She put the key and turned the engine as Lorelai entered on the passenger's side.

"You're too good to me, Master." She said fondly.

They entered the Diner quietly, taking a table near the window. There was no seat out of the site of the bar where Luke took most of his orders, but that was fine. He was currently away from the counter, anyway, his ear to a phone while juggling two plates of food in his hands. The phone's cord stretched half-way across the diner, over the heads and plates of other customers. This was the early morning crowd, none of whom Lorelai or Rory recognized, and they were regulars. None seemed perturbed by the likelihood of Luke dropping the trays, nor by the cord dangling in front of their faces, or tickling the back of their heads. The Gilmore's watched with serene interest as he managed to make his way from one table to the other, topping off coffee and taking finished breakfast plates away from the three other occupied tables in the Diner that morning. All the while he was completely engaged in his conversation on the phone, making animated gestures with the coffee pot and pilled plates and yet never raising his voice above a conspiratorial whisper. Lorelai motioned in Luke's direction, making as if she were on the phone.

"Why yes, mom, I do remember that time you took me to the Prom." She said in a deep, throaty voice, sitting up straight in her chair and puffing out her chest. It was her impersonation of Luke.

"Really?" Rory said, making her voice higher while leaning forward over the table. She slurred her words as if she had no teeth, "That was a lovely evening, wasn't it? You looked so good in your tux, Luke my boy."

"Why thank you, mother, but please, call my Butch. You know I love being called Butch, especially by that lovely Lorelai I tell you so much about." The two watched rigidly as Luke turned slightly towards them, and let out a sigh when someone summoned him to look at their eggs.

"Oh, yes. That Lorelai sounds like a lovely woman. But that child of hers, and out of wedlock! I simply couldn't have you running around with a girl with a reputation like that." Rory giggled and Lorelai reached across the table and jabbed her with a look of indignant surprise on her face.

"Yes, well." Lorelai said, still using her deep voice and watching Luke carefully. She tried to match her words to the movement of his mouth. "We'll get rid of that Rory soon enough and everyone will forget all about her. It's the kid that brings the mother down, you know?"

"Yes," Rory said in her best angry-old-person voice, "well, I learned that one the hard way." At that point the cord on Luke's phone reached its limit and snapped back, jerking the phone from his hands. He turned in surprise, leaving the coffee mug and plates on an uninhabited table, and tried to catch it. It was too fast, however, and the phone crashed into someone's breakfast omelet, lodging itself in the egg and cheese, its cord sticking out and drooping over the edge of the table. The man looked at Luke in mild horror, without surprise in his eyes. It was as if he knew this would happen to him. Lorelai and Rory giggled and snorted, covering their mouths in an effort to remain unnoticed. Luke went and recovered the phone, putting it to his ear and checking to see if the person was still on the other end. They were, and from Luke's wince it seemed they were upset. Lorelai stopped giggling at once, growing stiff as her fists curled into tight fists. Rory looked at her in wonder, tilting her head.

"What is it?"

"Did he just say 'Emily'?"

"No, I don't think so. It might have been… 'family'…" Rory looked over at Luke, suddenly wishing he would see them. He was behind the counter now, standing very close to the hook. Lorelai stood.

"No, that doesn't make sense, does it? I heard 'sorry Emily'. Why would he be apologizing to 'family'? That doesn't make sense." She walked away from the table and sat down at a stool, leaning her elbows on the counter. Luke was mumbling into the phone, his back to the diner, and so he didn't notice her.

"Look, I said I was sorry. The cord just snapped out of my hand and I couldn't do anything about it. I'm not a gymnast, if you haven't noticed… No, no, please. I'm sorry… yes; I do want this to happen… I know I need your help… okay, I'm sorry. I won't take that tone with you again… okay… talk to you then… thanks." He hung up the phone and turned around, his face serious and flushed with slight anger. He started towards the table with the ruined breakfast and then halted. He was standing directly next to Lorelai, staring at her over his shoulder as she looked at him. His face reflected only shock, while hers was jovial and quizzical.

"Taking tones, Mister?" She asked, flashing her teeth. Luke coughed and struggled to find a good lie. When he couldn't come up with one he bowed his head and said.

"I have to take care of that table." And he stalked off. He picked up the plate, promised a new omelet was coming, swung over and plucked up the rest of the dirtied plates and the coffee mug and then went to visit Rory as she sat abandoned at the table.

"I thought you said you'd keep her out of here today!" He said in a harsh whisper. Lorelai took this opportunity to sneak behind the counter and get two coffee mugs, and then a donut from the glass domed display.

"I tried." Rory answered with a shrug. "I told you she wouldn't have it." Luke looked helpless, and attempted to say something but stopped as Lorelai returned. She took from him the warm coffee pot and poured a cup for herself and then one for Rory. She offered the pot back to him, and he took it without an expression.

"What?" Lorelai asked innocently.

"Nothing. You guys want breakfast?" He asked gruffly.

"No, just coffee. We're in a rush. You remember."

"Paris, right. Okay… I'm going to go… clean these and…"

"Hey, wait a second. What was that show all about?" And at his puzzled face Lorelai added, "The phone call."

'Oh, yeah. That. It was. Err, just the insurance for the diner and, um, there's some problem with the paper work. It's just a mix-up; they'll take care of it." He shuffled awkwardly in place and played with the plates in his hands.

"Oh. And you were taking a tone with them? I don't think that's very helpful of you, Luke." Lorelai grinned at Rory.

"Yeah, well you know. Look, I have to get back to work. And aren't you two going to be late?" he walked off, circling behind the counter and dropping the plates into the sink with a clatter. Lorelai watched him go, a smile on her face and a faraway look in her eyes.

"Mom." Rory's voice brought her back to reality. It was vaguely urgent. "We're going to be late."


End file.
